Third-rail contact-shoe.



R. R. POTTER.

THIRD RAIL CONTACT SHOE.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.12, 1909.

Patented June 15,1909.

5:55.? M m 7 h i 7 v .IIIIIII.

. I I! H I I 1 a 1 B. R. POTTER.

THIRD RAIL GOETAGT SHOE.

APPLICATION FILED 5m. 12, 1909.

Patented June 15, 1909.

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3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/VVE/VTOR M@ FM ATTORNEY ROBERT E. POTTER, OF WEEHAWKEN HEIGHTS, NEWJERSEY.

THIRD-RAIL CON TACT-SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed January 12, 1909. Serial No. 471,833,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. POTTER, a citizen of the United Strides,and a resident of Vi'eehawhen Heights, in the" county of Hudson andState of New Jersey, have made and invented certain new and usefulL'nprovements in Third-Hail ContaHShoes, of which the following is aspecifier: 101' My invention relates to an improvement in third raileont act shoes, the object being to so eonstruet a device of thiselniraeter that the shoe proper, when worn or damaged, may be easily andreadily detached from the carrier, and a new one substituted therefor.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Vide a shoe for thispurpose, the several parts or" which are so constant-ted and assenibledthat in the event the shoe strikes an obstruction, it will be diseng'z'lsred from the earrier Without injury or damage to the latter, andfurther, to provide a shoe whioh shall be simple and eeononiieal inconstruction and durable and ellirient in. use, and with these and otherends in View, consists in eertain novel features of construction andeoinbinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully desrribed andpointed out in the claims.

In the aeeonipanyin; drawings, Figure l is a view in front elevation ofa shoe eon structed in aoeordanre with my invention.

Fig. is a. seetional Vl(\\' talcen on the line 2---2 of Fig. '1. Fig. 3side wall of broken away. Fig. l is a sertioual view talqen on the line1--4l of l 'ig i. Fig. 5 is a sectional YiGW illustrating the shoe. edfor use in eonne t nine rail.

I Referring is an end View, the

to the drawings, A represents the shoe beani attached to the t ruel orother 1 part or portion of the ear to whieh the rarrier of the shoe issecured, this earrier eousistinfl preferably of a single castingandcomprising parallel plates, the upper Yertieal ends of which areseemed to B, the horizontal portion D of the easliug connecting, thesaid plates. and secured to B, the lower ends I) of these parallelplates the rarrier l ving partially r r l l l l i l being \f-shaped, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 8 to receive and detachably hold the shoeproper, as hereinafter described. W'ith the vertical plates arepreferably east integral the side plates E, for the purpose ofstrengthening the same; the lower ends of said Vertical plates beingconnected by the horizontal plate F. r

The shoe proper G is also made of a single casting and if desired,provided with the ribs or flanges H on its upper side or surface tostrengthen the same. The rear end of this plate is curved into somewhatthe form of a hook I, the extreme edge of which rests within the -shapedlower end D of the rarrier and between the side plates E of the latter.

From the rear portion of the shoe G extends the plate K provided with.the recess 7: for the clearance of the lower end of the retaining'spring, as l'iereinafter described, and also provided with the lugs orprojections ls on either side of the larger central lug orprojeetion l1.Around the latter fits the. lower end of the coiled retaining spring M,the up per end resting within a recess formed in the horizontal crossplate 1), the tendency of this spring being to'hold the shoe in.engagement with the carrier, that is, the extreme edge of the hook l inposition in the lower V- shaped end l),'the shoe being retained inapproximately a horizontal position and in eontaet with the third railN. It will. be understood, however, that by reason of tho eonst ruotjonand arrangement of parts, the shoe is allowed to 1( ('l or tilt, inorder to art-oominodate itself to the inequalities of the third rail,the V-shaped lower end of the carrier aiding as a bun-mg for the roundedextreme edge of the book .1, this tilting of the shoe being faeililaledby supporting the lower end of the spring above the surfaee of the plateK on the rounded lugs or. projections 73, as

, illustrated in Fig. 4, the reoess Zrbeinp; formed the beam A by thebolt 1 in the plate K to clear the lower coil of the SPIIHQ when theforward endof the shoe is j raised. The dmvnward rocking or tilting ofthe under side of the beam A by the bolts Y be understood, of course,that this stop platerear end of the slate K, this flange when theforward end is lowered and the rear end of the shoe raised, striking thestop plate 0, bolted or otherwise secured to the vertical cross plate iiof the carrier, the lower edge of this stop plate extending inwardly asclearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and. 4. It will may be verticallyadjustable, in order to vary the limit of rocking or tilting of theshoe, or if desired, stop plates of various heights may besubstituted'one for the other to accomplishthe same end, as it is thepractice that the stop once having been properly placed, is allowed toremain in the same position un-- til the shoe is removed on account ofwear or damage and another substituted therefor.

The shoe constructed and arranged as above described, is intended. to beemployed as an over travel shoe, but as. illustrated. in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, may, by slight modification, be adapted for use as an undertravel shoe. In the first instance, it will be noticed that the lug orprojection L, around which the lower end of the retaining spring M iscoiled, is located at approximately the center of the plate K, in orderthat the said spring may so exert its pressure on the shoe as to forcethe same downwardly and retain it in its proper working and contactingposition. in the case of the under travel shoe, however, this lug ismoved rearwardly to a small extent, so that the retaining spring M willexert its pressure on the plate K back of the center thereof, therebydepressing the rear end of the shoe and elevating the forward end, theupper side or surface of which contacts with the under side of the railin this instance it will also be noted that the strengthening ribs orflanges H are formed on the under side or surface of the shoe, insteadof on the upper side, as in the case of the over travel shoe.

In order to limit the upward tilt of the.

the sto plate 0 is somewhat increased in width, in order that the flange0 formed on the lower edge thereof, will "lit below the edge of theplate K and against which the latter will strike when the forward end ofthe shoe To the carrier is be] .ed or othertrical conductor or Wire R isfastened.

From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention isexceedingly simple in construction, and consists principally of butthree parts, that is, the carrienthc shoe proper, and the retainingspring, thereby permitting of the manufacture and assembling of the sameat a comparatively small cos Furthermore, after the shoe has been wornout or damaged in service, it may be readily and quickly removed bysimply depressing the upper end of the retaining spring M to sec-seesuch extent will permit of the latter being removed from the carrier,whereupon the shoe may be lifted from its position and another oneinserted, this being a feature of much importance, especially when theshoe is damaged while in service and the car stalled until a new shoehas been substituted for the damaged one. Again, it will be noticed thatthe wear on the shoe caused by the continuous rocking or tiltingthereof, falls on the extreme edge of the hook I, rather than upon boltsor pintles, as in the case of shoes as nowordinariiy constructed, andwherein the shoe proper ishingcd to the carrier. This edge beingrounded, as illustrated and described, permits of rolling or rockingmovement, and thereby avoids the friction and wear incident to the useof a bolt or pintlc. i

Having fully described my invention, what I claim new and desire tosecure by Lettc-rs Patent, is:---

l. The combination with. a carrier, of a shoe proper fOIIllQCl with ahook engaging said carrier and a retaining spring bearing upon saidcarrier and upon said shoe for holding the several parts in their properrelative positions, substantially as dcscribei'l.

The combination with a shoe, the rear eudiol which is formed into theshape of a book, of a carrier the lower end of which is provided with areceptacle for containing said hook, and zicoiled spring one end ofwhich impinges against said carrier and the op )osite end against saidshoe for yicldingly holding said shoe and carrier in their properrelative positions, substz'intially as described.

3. The combination with a carrier the lower end of which is V-shaped, ofa shoe proper, the rear end of which-is shaped into the form of a hookand adapted to engage the lowci end of saidcnrrier, and a spring, oneend of which impinges against said carrier and the opposite end againstthe rear end of said shoe, whereby to yieldingly hold the Sev: eralparts in their proper relative positions, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a carrierthe lower end of which is formed into aV-sha ed receptacle, of a shoe, the rear end of Whic is olliook' shapeadapted to be contained WIthin said receptacle, said shoe being alsopro-v vided at its rear end with a plate, an'd a spring adapted toimpinge at its upperend against against the plate formed on the rear endof said shoe, whereby to retain the several parts in their properrelative positions, substan-.

tially as described.

'l'he mmbination with a carrier ada ted to be secured to the face andunder side 0 the shoe beam, the lower end of said carrier being Vshapod,of a shoe pro er provided at its rear end with a hook adapted to it inthe ii-shaped end of said carrier and with a plate, a spring adapted toimpinge at its upper end lOO said (.itll'lll, and at its lower end zwms;$5

ism, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 8th day ofJanuary, A. D.

H-{PBERT R. PUTTER.

against said cmrier and, at its laws? and against iha rear plate on theshoe, and a sjaop secured "to said. carrier and against which. 19

ada bed to strike the plate in therem and of H' itncsses: l M. VANORTWIOK, i PARKER C001;

saic ShGG for limiting the making movement of the latter substantmlly asdescnbml.

slgned at New Ynrk, borough of Manhat-

